5e Desert Travel - Making Water Precious

[nakedonmyfoldin]

Hello!

I'm planning on having the players travel a week or two through the desert. They'll have camels and a desert guide, but I want water to remain a constant concern. None of them have the ability to create it magically, so it will all have to brought with them or found in oasis-type places.

I know there is a monster from Dark Sun setting who can drain the water right out of your body.

I'd be interested to know if there are similar monsters who would be attracted to water and would actively hunt the PCs and try to steal their supplies.

I think I could also have them find one or two people in the desert, which can put an added strain on their resources that they wouldn't have predicted.

How else could I inject this gritty sense of dwindling resources?

Thanks in advance!

Edit: I wanted to add that one PC does have the Outcast Background which gives the Wanderer Feature. Long story short, it appears to say "You can automatically find food/water for 5 people daily". I'm going to talk to the player about this and come to an agreement, because in certain stretches of desert, I imagine this much food simply is not available. Tips for handling this would be appreciated as well!

[Sorinth]

Pretty much any monster they encounter would potentially be attracted to water. It comes down to whether they can sense the water or not, certain insects can detect water, so it's not crazy to think some monsters adapted to the desert might have something like a 10ft water sense and go straight for the largest source.

Then of course there are bandits who might send one group to keep the guards/players busy while a smaller group sneaks in and tries to steal as many camels as they can.

Finally, depending on how much you want the encumbrance/weight rules to come into play you can simply have monsters target the camels. A dead camel isn't carrying anything which might mean the PCs have to decide to leave stuff behind or overload the remaining camels and move at a slower pace. If you go this route also keep in mind it can get very cold at night in the desert so they might also need to carry firewood which is also quite heavy/cumbersome.

[nickl_2000]

Edit: I wanted to add that one PC does have the Outcast Background which gives the Wanderer Feature. Long story short, it appears to say "You can automatically find food/water for 5 people daily". I'm going to talk to the player about this and come to an agreement, because in certain stretches of desert, I imagine this much food simply is not available. Tips for handling this would be appreciated as well!

You are handling this right. Simply saying
"I really want this section of the campaign to make water and food important to the characters, so your feature will not work" will go a long ways. Since most players are human (I make no guarantees about all of them), they will understand your point and be cool with it. As long as you are making sure that their background feature does have an affect elsewhere and isn't a waste for them.

[nakedonmyfoldin]

In response to the Wanderer feature, I do plan on making them better than anyone else at finding water and food, it just won't always be a guaranteed amount for five.

Bandits will certainly be good for attacking resources, cause if you can't cultivate your own, you'll find other peoples' and steal it.

I had thought about keeping warm, because its actually a cold desert. Temperate during the day, but nearly subzero at night, but hadn't even considered firewood. Honestly, sources of fire may be as valuable as water.

And by the way, the water draining beastie is called a Thrax for anyone curious.

[Sorinth]

For the outlander backgroud it states "provided that the land offers berries, small game, water, and so forth"

So he doesn't auto succeed in a desert.

The way I treat the outlander is that if he succeeds the foraging check instead of rolling 1d6+wis, he gets 6.

EDIT: Also keep in mind an outlander in his non-native environment isn't going to be that much better then anyone else.

[Conan the Rasta]

maybe you could put a hyperthermia element to the dessert. making people who get too hot requiring more water to cool down.

this could also make them try and find and/or make a shelter. they may decide to travel during the night to avoid this.

[Randomthom]

I'd be super-tempted to homebrew a sand elemental/dust devil, imagine if the air, fire and earth elementals had a three-parent-baby. I'd only plan to use this if things look like they're going too well for the PCs (i.e. to keep them things tense). You could even suggest that it is drawn to the water they carry.

Alongside an otherwise unremarkable stat block it would have the following ability;
Dessicate
The Sand Elemental draws moisture from all creatures within 5ft of it. If a creature starts it's turn adjacent to the Sand Elemental or moves within 5ft during their turn they must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or take 2d6 force damage on a failed save or half damage on a successful save. If they fail the save by 5 or more then they take 1 level of exhaustion.

Adjust the damage/DC depending on your party of course, not sure what level you're playing at.

Obviously, rule that any water containers they're carrying burst open in close proximity to it, once they see that happen to one PC the rest should actively avoid getting close which could make for an interesting tactical encounter. Perhaps don't even aim to kill with it, just make it try to move to each PC to drink from them then move onto the next.

[Themrys]

I like the idea of them finding people and deciding to share their water much better than the one of having a waterskin burst. Finding and saving people is proper adventuring, having your waterskins burst is just bad luck and can make them feel like you are bullying them. (Also, keep in mind that desert-dwelling people wouldn't usually have low-quality waterskins where that can happen so easily. The suspicion of sabotage would be reasonable. If you want a subplot, or if they tried to save money by buying cheaper waterskins, you can do it, but without good reason, I would feel rather cheated. I tolerate such things from inexperienced DMs, as I see the need for creating a specific setting, but it can be done more subtly.)

Another thing that could cost them water: Drinking alcohol. Dehydrates the body, and would probably increase the need for water afterwards. That one would fall under "own stupidity", if they do it, but you should give them the necessary knowledge to not do it. (Such as their desert guide warning them about it)

Diarrhea would be an especially nasty way of increasing the need for water, and I would only do that if you can make it so that they afterwards say "Well, that was our own damn fault" ... like a well that is heavily hinted to not be clean. (Spooky lack of any plants near the water source, animals not drinking from it, or if you really want to hit them over the head with it, a dead animal nearby, the corpse poisoning the water)




EDIT: Also keep in mind an outlander in his non-native environment isn't going to be that much better then anyone else.

This.
I ran into this problem when deciding to play a character who is from a desert environment ... but to meet up with the others has to have traveled to different climate zone. It does not make any logical sense that someone would recognize plants that don't grow where they are from.


There are skills you can always use, such as a knowledge of how to deal with extremely high or low temperatures, how water tends to behave, that plants with fleshy leaves tend to need less water, etc.

But finding food would be extremely difficult unless you have opportunity to acquire that knowledge (in which case the skilled character would acquire it much faster. You have to have an eye for plant species, some citydwellers simply don't.)

And of course, it is quite possible there simply isn't that amount of food to be found. (Such an area obviously would not have hunter-gatherer tribes living there all year - things have to make sense.)

[Hobbo Jim]

In response to the Wanderer feature, I do plan on making them better than anyone else at finding water and food, it just won't always be a guaranteed amount for five.
...
I had thought about keeping warm, because its actually a cold desert. Temperate during the day, but nearly subzero at night, but hadn't even considered firewood. Honestly, sources of fire may be as valuable as water.

Since you're going to be nerfing his feature a little, one way to help that might be to add on something different. Maybe he's not super familiar, but give him a little extra information regarding the setting on the side. That way it still feels in character - as a wanderer he might know that water will be super scarce, but perhaps he'll know that certain beetles could lead you to some amount of water. He might also know that the desert is dangerous, filled with bandits, and that an often overlooked issue is firewood, not to mention the monsters you've been thinking about. Of course you don't have to give him all the information, but letting him in on a little extra so he can prepare I think would help solve any issues if the player has them (or at least they might be appreciative that you've taken them into consideration).

[Willie the Duck]

One of the real problems with making wilderness challenges interesting (at least while interacting with the rules) is that PCs either have enough water, or they don't, and if they don't there's a pretty straightforward progression from no penalty to death. Obviously, you can try to take away their precious water at every turn, but that can get repetitive. Consider mixing in ways that they could get lost, thus taking more time and making their water supply insufficient to their needs despite nothing actually taking their water. Likewise there can be shortcuts... which may or may not be actually shorter (or may be shorter if they are smart/roll well and same or longer if not).

In the end though, if you make thirst a real risk, it can easily become a gun you're holding that you can't fire (or you can, but then it's just 'Okay, 4d6, six times everyone! Better luck next time!'). Consider making some expanded rules -- food that is increases or decreases water need. Activity the same, bonuses for smart thinking (with regards to shade, or the like). Figure out what happens if they try to conserve water (what does people trying to go down the 3/4 ration of water do to them?). Figure out what morale effects might occur if the group decides to allow someone travelling with them to die of thirst (mind you, the DM forcing this to happen will go down about as well as every previous-edition horror story about DMs forcing paladins to fall, or the like. But if the PCs choose to do something like this, decide what the ramifications might be ahead of time).

[Shabbazar]

There's plenty of water in a desert to support the animals and plants that actually live there. Which is to say, it's there, you just might not be able to find enough of it for your purposes. I would be careful about putting in too many bandits, etc. because if the desert can support people then there are a certain number of water sources. Where does a big band of bandits get their water? And what is the point of bandits being there if there is so little water that few people travel through the desert, thus leading the bandits to have too small a potential pool of victims to sustain their interest?

You also need to consider player creativity. Prestidigitation is a cantrip, castable endlessly and every round. If you cool metal in a hot environment that is going to cause condensation. It might slow their travel a bit, but a wizard could use common metal items to create water. And that's assuming they don't make a grilled 1/2 face mask out of metal that the wizard keeps perpetually cool and is linked by a tube to a waterskin, thereby making a D&D stillsuit like in Dune. That won't solve the water problem completely, but will reduce it enormously.

It's pretty difficult to neuter all character abilities enough to make wilderness travel threatening. That's why threads about "how do I make wilderness travel fun" keep popping up.

[BestMaster46]

And that's assuming they don't make a grilled 1/2 face mask out of metal that the wizard keeps perpetually cool and is linked by a tube to a waterskin, thereby making a D&D stillsuit like in Dune.

I was hoping to see a Dune reference here!

Back to the question:

This ultimately goes back to the theme of playability vs. realism, right? You want to make the desert travel realistic, but not to the point where it's boring (un-playable). That's tough. First you have to identify what is realistic. If your main focus here is on the water, how long can each member survive without water? Is it the same? Or do dragonborn get advantage? Do elderly have disadvantage?

Once that is established, then you can begin to refine these realistic rules to make them playable. A lot of great advice has been given here regarding technique, but my biggest concern would be how far it steps into playability at the risk of losing realism.

My tendency as a GM is to avoid getting into the playability mechanics of things like water and food. It can definitely be done - it just gets murky.

I really like your idea of the water-hungry monsters though and I'd be excited to see what you come up with. Would you make the players roll for hallucination? or CON if they're getting dehydrated? Would you let it get to that point, or would the water-hungry monster attack first and once its defeated, shower the heroes in watery-sludge (gross) ?

[Vogie]

I would probably add some sort of resource drain that is more straightforwardly tracked. Something like a "water score" or "hydration modifier" or something.

Just travelling around in the desert sun drains said score, and critical fails on checks/saves lower that character's hydration score. Particularly bad weather, poison, disease, exhaustion, and the above-mentioned alcohol make that go down. When your hydration score is too low, it starts impacting other performance... either make your own table, or use the exhaustion condition table.

Certain monster attacks, spells, and being too close to a defiler when they cast can also drain your hydration.

Carried water acts as a sort of hybrid hit die/health pot variant, allowing you to consume it over a rest to increase your hydration score by 1d4+1, although it can be shared among the party members. I'd include water in some sort of encumbrance variant... something like only being able to carry a number of water die equal to your strength modifier (min 1), and pack animals, like mules or camels, can hold more.

Foraging for water gives you a water die when you roll a 19-20 on a survival check:

If proficient on survival, it lowers the range to 18-20 (at +2 prof) down to 14-20 (at +6 prof)
Expertise in Survival or something like an Wanderer feature allows you to generate 1d4 water die, instead of just 1.
Obviously you can create harsher climates, zones, or weather that gives disadvantage or increases the normal DC of foraging in that area.
Crafters and artificers can make moisture farms that can generate a water die over a long rest at night.


Create/Destroy Water allows you to remove or generate a number of water die... probably equal to 1+ the level cast at.




Another thing you may want to use for reference: DMDave.com's revised classes/SubClasses for a DarkSun Setting (https://dmdave.com/dark-sun-classes-5e/)

[Kane0]

I think I could also have them find one or two people in the desert, which can put an added strain on their resources that they wouldn't have predicted.


This is the angle I would lean on. Sure, the PCs can provide for themselves but there are other factors at play here. There are guides, beasts and others that also need provisions and tensions could rise very quickly if something were to go wrong. Logistics is only part of the equation, often it's the social aspect that breaks down.

[Sigreid]

I'm not sure how true this is, not being a desert folk, but I heard or read once that when no water is available desert folk cutting some of the hump far from a camel to sustain themselves without seriously harming the animal.

As for fire, burning animal droppings is a time honored fuel source.

[Willie the Duck]

I'm not sure how true this is, not being a desert folk, but I heard or read once that when no water is available desert folk cutting some of the hump far from a camel to sustain themselves without seriously harming the animal.

Unlikely (https://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/camel.html), at best (although someone probably has tried it, since it's a time-honored legend). There are issues with the old water from a cactus (https://www.britannica.com/story/can-you-drink-water-from-a-cactus) bit, as well.

[Shabbazar]

There are issues with the old water from a cactus (https://www.britannica.com/story/can-you-drink-water-from-a-cactus) bit, as well.

True, but you could feed a solar still with the pulp. Getting clear plastic in a medieval setting might be a little problematic, but who knows what magical substitute could be developed.

[Tanngrisnr]

I had thought about keeping warm, because its actually a cold desert. Temperate during the day, but nearly subzero at night, but hadn't even considered firewood. Honestly, sources of fire may be as valuable as water.

I suggest that at some point you let them find water. A LOT of water. Make them soaked, with no way to dry themselves up... and then the sun sets.

[Shabbazar]

Yeah, I was thinking of a conventional desert. IIRC there is a desert-swamp in Alaska. Desert is defined by annual precipitation and swamp is defined by days out of the year with standing water. There is some area where there is little rain, but is perpetually under permafrost. Up above the arctic circle I think.

[Sigreid]

Unlikely (https://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/camel.html), at best (although someone probably has tried it, since it's a time-honored legend). There are issues with the old water from a cactus (https://www.britannica.com/story/can-you-drink-water-from-a-cactus) bit, as well.

Always found it questionable myself, but it seems a fitting desert survival technique for a fantasy game either way.